


the enterprise

by eighthcaramel



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Assassins, M/M, im going to continue writing this one whether u like it or not tbh, may or may not be gruesome in future chapters, will probably have smut in future chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:46:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2854646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eighthcaramel/pseuds/eighthcaramel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke Hemmings works in the Enterprise, a skilled group of assassins. He loves is job, and he has fun doing it.<br/>That is, until he falls for one of his targets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 “Luke, you need to focus.”

“I am focused.”

“Bullshit.” Calum huffs before crossing his arms in irritation. “Just because you’ve killed so many people doesn’t mean you have to boast so much about it.”

“I’m not boasting.” In truth, Luke just loves to gloat about how many assassinations he’s successfully gone through with. He found it fun, and he was glad that he got so many demands. He knew of how he was considered to be the “best of the best.” He’s been in the Enterprise ever since he was small.

The Enterprise is an extremely skilled group of assassins and information brokers. They’ve existed for at least a decade, and have “seemingly” disappeared from the surface world as of now. They’re very intelligent, and they hide their tracks very well. There is a building in every state that is known amongst the group of assassins as the headquarters. It’s unknown how they are contacted by clients. However, they are very expensive, as well as lethal. The Enterprise always gets its way.

“Yes, you are!” Calum takes a deep breath immediately after his exclamation to calm himself. Leaning on the large table in front of him, he says, “Enough. Please, just pay attention.” He ignores Luke’s pout as he continues talking. “Miss Mary-Jane is an extremely special client. She’s wealthy, and we all know that. That’s why you absolutely _have_ to take care of her target.” Calum had been trying to give all of the information to Luke for the past hour. Luke was most likely not even listening. This infuriated Calum to the very core.

“Consider it already done.” Luke leans back on his spot on the leather sofa, resting his head on the back of it. “Is her name _really_ Mary-Jane?” He closes his eyes, keeping his ears open for any more details Calum was going to give, only to hear the tan-skinned boy sigh from across the room. He pries his heavy eyelids open, enjoying the still-dim light in the middle of the ceiling. He always liked the cozy feeling of calmness that he got whenever he was in the main room of their organization’s headquarters.

“Luke. Get over here,” Calum commands, ignoring his question. Luke thinks Calum sounds like a mother about to chastise her child. Nonetheless, he obeys, standing up and taking long strides to the other side of the room. He still hesitated, though. Calum slides his hand into his pocket, Luke watching in curiosity, and pulls out a small picture. “This is the target.”

The picture was of a front lawn, possibly taken from across the street. It was a happy photo, and in it was a seemingly handsome young man laughing along with two kids – a boy and a girl. They had been moving, for some parts of the picture were blurry. Perhaps they were playing a game. They seemed to be a happy family. Taking a loved one from a delightful, loving family was one of the negatives of Luke’s job. That’s the only part he hates about it.

As Calum points to the eldest of the three in the picture, Luke takes a closer inspection of him. The young man had curly brown hair. Well, it _looks_ curly. The picture of him was blurry, for the most part. Hence why he was “seemingly handsome.” The blurriness made his skin appear to glow.

Luke frowns. He needs to know the _exact_ appearance of the target so he doesn’t end up murdering the wrong person. That would be bad. Really bad. “I can’t see his face that well.”

“I know. I asked for a better picture, but she said that this was all she had.”

Luke clicks his tongue, looking off to the side of the room. At least now he knows why _he_ was picked for the job. Sure, he was flattered by the request, but with this as the only picture he was going to have a hell of a time trying to find the guy. “Alright. How am I going to find him, then?” he asks.

“His family is going on a sort of trip. Mary-Jane gave me a map of where they’re going.” Reaching for the bright red folder stationed at the top right corner of the table, he opens it and pulls out a folded map of Australia. He unfolds it, and on the map is a messy oval shape in red ink, stretching from the northeastern part of Queensland to the southernmost part of Victoria. There was a red dot where Sydney was. “They’re leaving Sydney in a few days for the Great Barrier Reef, where they’ll stay up to a week. After that, they’ll head for the Yarra Ranges. There, they’ll stay a few days. They go back to Sydney after Yarra Ranges.”

Luke gives an annoyed sigh. “I’m guessing I’m going to be following them?” He really doesn’t want to do that. He has better things to do than tracking down a family on vacation.

“Yup. You know the drill.” Calum takes a deep breath before refolding the map and placing it back in the folder. He hands the photo of the target to Luke, and Luke takes it. He stares at it, eyes narrowing in thought. He knew this was going to be a challenge.

“That’s it? No special requirements?”

“She didn’t say anything else. Just try to make it look like an accident like you always do. It draws less attention.”

“Right,” Luke mutters. “What’s his name?” he breathes out.

“Ashton. Ashton Irwin.”

 

 

Luke impatiently sits at the window seat on the plane, fiddling with his phone. The organization had supplied the funds for the plane ride, thank the lord. Luke would not be able come up with enough money for the trip. He glances up about every five seconds, shifty eyes scanning the arriving passengers for a certain curly haired boy.

He grimaces as he remembers he isn’t even sure what the guy looks like.

So, he settles with looking for a pair of children, a boy and a girl, walking excitedly to their seats. Hopefully they’d be with Ashton.

His mind skids to a halt. He needs to stop referring to Ashton by name. Ashton’s a target, nothing more.

Luke’s gaze shifts back down to the brightly lit phone screen, and he continues scrolling down. He wasn’t even paying attention to whatever news showed up anymore.

Hearing ridiculously loud laughter, he looks up with creased brows. The sound was irritating. It interrupted the silent peace that had rested inside of the plane, and it needed to stop immediately before Luke decides to murder someone _other_ than the actual target. As his gaze lands on the tips of the heads of a couple of children peeking from behind the seats, his narrowed eyes widen in shock. He grows nervous as he tries to examine them. _The kids in the photo._

It was them. It _had_ to be them. They were seated near the entrance of the plane, and because of their supposedly short statures, it was highly likely that they were sitting on their legs.

Luke quickly looks to the aisle, seeing who he assumes is the poor victim he was to kill. His hair is indeed curly, from what Luke can see from his position at the back of the plane. It was hard to see his face, and even when Luke squinted, his eyes still could not seem to focus. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the picture of the three people. He stares at it for a few seconds before quickly replacing it. No one could see the image lest someone would become suspicious.

He jumps as a large, old lady sits in the seat next to him. The odor of sweat and an extremely strong scent of an odd perfume fills his nostrils. The lady, wipes at her nose, and he catches a glimpse of shiny mucus on her hand. Ew. Her breathing is heavy, and her small glasses fall down the bridge of her nose.

Luke doesn’t try to hold back the loud groan that escapes his throat. This was going to be a long ride.

 

 

A few hours later, Luke is standing on a numb set of legs. He loosely grips the handle on his suitcase, and it trails after him, the sound of its wheels signaling its movement. He got off the plane about 30 minutes ago, and he was now following his target. He was quite a distance away from the family, and the three of the kids follow who Luke presumes is their mother.

Several minutes later, he notices that they enter a parking lot. The family walks over to a tall woman, and Luke guesses that she is a relative.

He definitely did not consider this. He didn’t think of how he was going to follow them. Why, he doesn’t know. What he does know, though, is that if he doesn’t hurry up and find a way, he’ll lose them.

And he definitely would not do that. He doesn’t want to ruin his perfect killing streak. Ever.

He waves at a taxi about to drive past him, and, not knowing where to go, he just tells the driver to take him to the nearest hotel. He eyes the black car that the target and his family had entered through the window. It almost leaves his line of sight multiple times.

Luckily, the taxi pulls into the same parking lot the black car had entered. As Luke’s gaze rises, he sees the large hotel building. He wonders why the lady, if related to the target, took them to a hotel and not her house. Isn’t that what happened when you visit family? You stay at the family’s house? That’s what Luke thought. And probably most other people.

Luke finds his wallet in his bag and pulls out the required amount of money. He doesn’t bother collecting the change; he tells the driver he can keep it.

He quickly exits the vehicle, making sure to keep a safe distance from the family. He sees that the tall woman is no longer with them. He sighs, glad that he wouldn’t have to deal with another individual.

Waiting until they had entered the hotel, he pushes the door open and drags his suitcase through. Staring at the back of his target as he walks through the hallway, Luke moves fast to check into the hotel and get his key. He hopes his room is close to his target’s.

_Room 405._

Luke hurries to the elevator after realizing he’s lost the target, pushing the button to go up. This can’t be happening. Luke becomes panicky, and his eyes shift back and forth, looking at both ends of the hallway. No human being in sight. Maybe they’d already gotten in the elevator.

Maybe they’d be on the same floor as Luke.

God, he wishes with all of his might that they’d be on the same floor as he. It’d make things so much easier. In truth, Luke wanted to get this over with. Or, rather, he’d like to get to the good part. He wanted to spill blood. He _needed_ to spill blood. He needs to see it splatter against the walls, and hear the gruesome sounds of intestines hitting the floor, as well as the high screams of his victim.

It was fun.

Luke enters the elevator once the door opens. He lets out a deep breath of air as he presses the button for the fourth floor. The door closes-

That is, until a hand stops the door from closing, their wrist nearly getting crushed. However, the door reopens and the person steps inside. Luke’s eyes widen and his mind is sent to an even worse frenzy as he sees who it is.

_Ashton._


	2. Chapter 2

Luke stood frozen in shock. His mouth is agape, and he hopes that Ashton won’t notice. His mind races as the elevator door closes behind Ashton and the small suitcase he had dragged in, frantically searching for a way to murder and make it appear as an accident, or perhaps a suicide. But how was he supposed to do that, when the door would open and he’d be seen by anyone in front of the elevator, covered in guts and blood? Who else could’ve done it?  
Of course, Luke knew he was good at lying. He could easily feign tears, so that part was covered. But what could go wrong in the elevator that would’ve ended in death?

His brows furrow in concentration. He hears Ashton breathe a sigh of relief, and he jumps a little when he hears him speak. “What floor are you going to?” The target is panting a bit, insinuating that he was in a rush to get to where he’s standing.

Luke almost blurts out a different number due to the fact he wasn’t paying too much attention. He frowns, thinking that that was unlike him. “Fourth,” he mutters. His voice has a hint of annoyance in it.

Ashton gives Luke an awkward smile. He thinks he hears him mumble an apology, but dismisses it, assuming it was his imagination. Silence falls over the two before the target once again speaks up. “I’m going to the third floor.”

“Great,” Luke responds sarcastically. His mood worsens, knowing that it’ll be harder to get to Ashton. Ugh.

Luke doesn’t try to hide his looking at his target. He turns his head completely to the boy, smirking as he sees him shift uncomfortably under his gaze. He tries to embed his target’s appearance in his brain.

Ashton’s hazel eyes were quite large, and he was only a few inches shorter than Luke. Light brown curls framed his face. He had muscles, and Luke honestly thought that Ashton could most likely beat him up. But Luke was smart, and he’s gotten away with many other kills before. So that has to count for something.

A bell dinged, signaling the elevator’s first stop. Ashton doesn’t say anything as he lugs his baggage out of the elevator. Luke can’t help the angry groan he emits once Ashton leaves, throwing his head back as the doors close once again. He hopes Ashton didn’t hear that.

A few moments later he trudges out of the elevator on the fourth floor with suitcase in tow. His eyes sweep over the room numbers on the doors he passes, scanning them for his own. He repeats the number over and over in his head; _405, 405, 405. . ._

Ah, there it is. He yanks the key out of his pocket and opens the door, pushing the door open with great force. He slams it closed behind him, and he tosses his suitcase to the side of the room before collapsing onto the bed, letting out a deep sigh. He wants to sleep. He wants to sleep, but he knows he can’t. He needs to find out more information about his target. The sooner he’s dead, the better.

And so he crawls up from his position, and slowly walks to the window. He yawns, eyes closing tightly when he does so, and focuses on the pool he can see from his position. He watches as various children scamper around the pool in danger of slipping and possibly breaking a bone. Mothers smile fondly at the scene and/or chat mindlessly about who knows what.

Luke frowns as he spots the woman that he had seen with his target and the children (he doesn’t know for sure whether they’re siblings or not) and makes the conclusion that she was probably the three’s mother. She was sitting down, sipping whatever drink she had in her hand. He quickly scans the area for the children he has (almost) remembered from the photo until he finds a boy who he is _pretty sure_ that’s from the target’s family. The boy is chasing a few other kids with a large smile on his face. He notes that the girl nor his target are in sight. Luke sighs in anger for the umpteenth time.

He’s about to turn around, deciding to sleep anyways, when the door to the pool is flung open, and the girl in the photo marches outside. Following the girl is Ashton. Luke’s eyes widen in disbelief and a smile quickly makes its way onto his face. This is his chance!

However, once again, he is unsure of what to do. Should he go out to the pool? What if when he goes out he ends up not finding the target? Or should he stay and observe the target? But then he’d feel like a stalker.

Well, not that he hasn’t stalked someone already.

He sees his target approach who he assumes is the mother, and he takes a seat in the chair next to her. Luke figures he should take a risk and head out.

He hurriedly rummages through his suitcase for the bathing suit he had packed. Finding it, he goes into the bathroom to change despite the fact he was already alone in the room. He felt more comfortable changing in the bathroom. He doesn’t forget the towel, tucking the item under his arm.

Running through the hallways, he reenters the elevator and goes downstairs. He has to move quickly. He nearly gets lost.

He does end up getting to the pool, though. He yanks the door open and takes cautious steps outside. He stares at the cement ground to make sure he doesn’t step on anything. Hurrying to one of the empty chairs near his target, he makes sure to be close enough to hear the conversation but not enough to look suspicious. He tunes out the obnoxious noises from children and splashing pool water as he plops into the seat and listens to the target closely. He cocks his head to the side to hear better, placing his elbow on the armrest to where his hand is supporting his head.

“. . . –are we going to be here?” he hears Ashton ask.

“About a week, honey,” says the mother.

As the two talk, Luke notices a few prepubescent girls giggling and trying to hide the fact that they’re staring at him. He grimaces, hoping to scare them off. It doesn’t work. Damn.

“Go play with Harry and Lauren.” Luke figures that those were the names of the siblings as he hears the target sigh. Well, he thinks it’s a sigh. It was quiet, buried underneath the sound of the other people.

“But my feet ache.”

“Just do it, honey.”

“Can I get a drink first?”

“Sure, but hurry up. I want you to spend time with them.”

Luke glances at the two, seeing Ashton stand up and head in his direction. Oh no. _Oh no._ Luke forgot that there was an outside bar a few seats away from him and towards the entrance to the hotel.

As Ashton passes him, Luke pretends not to notice him. Until the target stops in his tracks directly in front of him.

“Oh, hey!” he says happily to Luke. The target was completely dry, having not gotten into the pool yet.

“Hi,” is all that Luke says. He tries to remain indifferent.

“Are you in a better mood now?” The target sounds hopeful.

Luke frowns in thought. Was he in a better mood? Hell no, to be honest. “Nope.” He couldn’t think of a way to kill the certain curly headed boy standing in front of him, and it was bugging him _so much_. They needed to be alone. . .

His target shifts his weight from foot to foot awkwardly. “Want me to get you a drink?” Ash seemed worried.

The hell kind of question was that? Perhaps he wanted Luke to be as happy as everyone else in this damned hotel. “No thank you.” Luke glares at his target, whose expression is filled with worry and sorrow.

“I-If you want anything, just ask, okay?” What the hell?! Luke was a stranger to this guy! Why was he being so nice?!

“Right,” Luke mutters. He watches the target’s back as he walks away from him and to the bar. He thinks he hears him order a lemonade.

Luke’s thoughts are interrupted, however, when those prepubescent girls walk up to him, smiling shyly at him. Their gazes shifted from the ground to his eyes repeately. “Hi,” one of them says. Her bikini was black, and her long brown hair was wet and pulled to the side.

Luke doesn’t respond for a moment. He scowls at them. “I’m not in the mood. Please go away.” There’s an edge to his voice.

“Can we sit here?” The blonde one asks, ignoring his response and motioning to the empty seats next to his own.

“No. I want to be alone.” Three chatty girls would not help him think of a good plan. If anything, they’d only cause their own deaths by sitting next to him.

The quiet one, who had been standing behind the brunette, pouts. “Please? We just want to talk to you.”

“Leave me alone.” His words are dripping with venom.

“Is it so bad that we want to be your friend?” the blonde one asks, putting her hands on her hips. Wow, what brats!

“Excuse me.” All of them turn to look at Ashton, who is standing with a glass of lemonade. It was a miracle that the glass didn’t break from the tight grip he had on it. His jaw is clenched, and there’s a fire in his eyes, burning brightly with. . . Anger? “He said to leave him alone.”

“So what? We want to talk to him!” The other two girls were dead silent, letting the blonde do all the talking.

“Have some respect and leave him be.” The target sits down in the empty seat next to Luke, who gazes at him questioningly with wide eyes.

The girls’ jaws dropped his actions, and the blonde angrily stomped off, the other two girls right on her heels. Those three girls were literally stupid and ridiculously rude.

Luke stares at his target. “Thanks?” He’s unsure of his own emotions.

The target smiles at him. “No problem. I knew you were in a bad mood still, and I saw that they were bothering you.”

An awkward silence falls over the two before Luke pipes up. “Why are you still here?” It came out meaner than he meant it to be.

Ashton jumps up to his feet, spilling a little of his lemonade. “D-do you want me to leave?” His eyes are wide with panic.

Luke blinks, biting his lip thoughtfully. If he let him stay, they could talk. And if they talked, Luke could find out more information about him. And if he got more info, he’d get closer to the target. And if he got closer, then he’d be a friend, and it would be less likely that he’d be a suspect for murder. _Perfect_.

“You can stay if you want to.” He sees the target grin widely from the corner of his eyes before he sits back down.

“So what are you doing here?” his target asks him, attempting to make small talk. Just like in the elevator.

It’s Luke’s turn to panic now, and his mind quickly searches for something to say. “Visiting the Great Barrier Reef.” All he could think of was Ashton’s plans, so he figured it should be the same. To get closer to the target. . .

His target brightens. “Really?!” He tries to play that off coolly. “E-er, my family is doing that too.”

Yeah, Luke knew that already. “I see.” He doesn’t know what else to say, and he’s also preoccupied with his murderous thoughts.

“Are you here with your family?”

“No.”

“Why not? Uh, y-you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” Ashton waves dismissively as if it will make things okay.

“Because they’re dead,” Luke says bluntly.

“Oh. . .” It’s easy to hear his target swallow the awkward lump in his throat. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“Don’t worry about it.” In truth, Luke isn’t that bothered by the death of his family. Not anymore. He shakes away the memories of the flames licking up the curtains and melting the skin off of his loved ones. How his entire family was burnt alive. And how he was the only one to survive.

“Would you like to go swimming?” Ashton suddenly asks.

“No.”

Ashton chuckles. “Then why did you come out here?”

“To-“ Luke cuts himself off, realizing he was about to tell his target that _he was trying to find a way to kill him_. He goes utterly silent.

“Yeah?” his target prods, smile evident in his voice.

Shit, shit, shit, what is he supposed to say?! He abruptly stands up. “I changed my mind. I’m going swimming.”

Ashton’s grin widens more, if possible. “I’ll go with you!” He stands as well, following Luke to the edge of the pool.

Luke stares down into the water, admiring his own reflection like the conceited bastard he is. He admits it. He’s hot.

He smirks before diving into the water.

However, suddenly, he blacks out after seeing the bright, bright blue of the water.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was a bit rushed, sorry!  
> but thank you for reading!!! uwu

_Luke awoke to a very unsettling scent floating about in his room. He opens his eyes and, convinced that they were still closed because it was pitch black, blinks rapidly. He comes to the conclusion that it was the middle of the night, for the sun had not yet shone through the blinds hanging on his window._

_He crawls out of bed, trying to figure what on earth the smell was. Hmm. . . Was something. . . Burning? Perhaps his parents had gotten cold and lit the fireplace, his young mind decides. Though, it doesn’t smell like the regular burning wood. It was something. . . Stronger. Way stronger. He concludes that he should go check on his parents. He believes that he was just being paranoid, but he wants to make sure that they were alright. Maybe they would know what the odd, intense smell was._

_Luke coughs, just now noticing that his throat is ridiculously sore. His entire being aches, and he strains to breathe. His head is spinning and his limbs feel like lead. He feels parched, so he decides to stop by the kitchen for a glass of water before he looks for his parents. The throbbing pain his limbs and lungs experienced was beginning to become unbearable. His throat was inflamed and every time he tried to swallow it hurt so bad. It wasn’t like a regular sore throat you would get from a common cold. It was much worse._

_As he pushes the door to his room open, he is greeted with an extremely awful sight. His eyes widen in fear and shock as he takes everything in._

_There was a thick smoke clouding his vision, ranging from colors such as grey to black to dark colors with a hint of brown. It mixed together for the most part, which caused the black smoke to exist. The burning smell he had experienced earlier was much, much stronger now that the door was open. It was acrid, and his eyes burned, watering. He was unsure of the reason; it was either the smoke or the heavy scent of it._

_In the parts he was able to see clearly (which was very little), there was unmistakable bright red-orange of fire._

Fire _._

_Luke blinks again and again, panic settling in his mind, taking over the frozen shock he had been in previously. He wanted to get out. No, he needed to get out. Wait, shouldn’t he find his parents? What about his brothers? Or his dog? It was incredibly hot, and he was growing more uncomfortable with each passing second. His mind races._

_Maybe they had gotten out already._

_If they had, he wonders why they had just left them there, their own relative and loved one. The emotion of depression is added to the mix of feelings he currently has._

_If they had, fuck them. He doesn’t need them anyway._

_But, he does know that they all were most likely trapped in the house, just as he was._

_As he realizes he had been just standing there with rushed thoughts, hurriedly attempting to figure out the situation, the word escape suddenly bursts into the room that is his brain._

_And so he runs. Or, tries to. He trips on fallen debris multiple times, and, realizing it’s easier to breathe near the ground (only slightly, however), he crawls on his hands and knees, days of studying safety in elementary reappearing in his memories. He does his best to be quick, avoiding holes that had arrived in the once perfect, spotless second floor of his home. The ground threatens to fall underneath him and bring him to an early death, if the smoke doesn’t kill him first. Or perhaps his fate is to be lit aflame._

_Luke coughs violently, the heavy smoke filling up the burning hallway and, having nowhere else to go, touches the ground. He moved blindly, scrambling forward and no longer caring about not being able to see. He wants out. He doesn’t want to die like this, unable to see and breathe. He doesn’t want to be burned to a crisp, screaming at the top of his lungs for help that will never arrive._

_He reaches the end of the hallway quickly due to his fast pace, bumping into it because of his lack of vision._

_Remembering the window placed conveniently at the end of the hallway, he aims for where he thinks the window is and forcefully breaks it with his fist._

_He jumps out, not caring what would happen to him after that._

_As long as he could breathe once more, it was fine with him._

 

 

Luke awakes with a jolt, eyes shooting open wide and gaze frantically looking around.

Ah, he’s in a hotel room.

His mind is a mess as he gathers his thoughts. Where was he? Probably his hotel room, from the looks of it. What year was it? Hopefully he hadn’t been unconscious for a long time. Why was he in a hotel? Oh, right. Murder. And wasn’t he in the pool?

Having been lying on the bed, he sits up. He looks down, taking in his appearance. His hands are clammy and it feels like he’s covered in sweat. He feels gross and groggy. It’s unbelievably hot, despite the fact he’s wearing nothing but his swim trunks. How on earth did he get in his room?

Luke jumps out of his skin as the door is flung open, and he jumps up on instinct, ready to attack. His stance is threatening, but it falters when he sees that the person who had opened the door is. . . His target. What on earth. . . ?

His target jumps as well when he notices Luke is up and moving, albeit not as high. His expression of surprise softens to one of that same kindness he had showed Luke before. “Oh, you’re awake,” he says, scratching the back of his neck.

. . .

“What?” Luke asks, bewildered. He involuntarily lets his guard down – which he obviously should not do. His back stiffens.

“How are you feeling?” his target says, yawning. He covers his mouth as he does so.

Luke ignores his question. “Why are you. . .” He trails off, unsure of how he should word his thoughts.

“Hm?” Ashton tilts his head to the side, perplexed. He suddenly nods, chuckling. “Right, you’re probably confused.”

“What happened?”

“You dived into the kiddie pool. We didn’t know where your room was so we took you to mine.”

Oh. _Oh._ Luke’s jaw drops, and he stares at the ground in shame and embarrassment. “I. . .” is all he manages to say.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen something so unbelievably stupid in my entire life.”

Luke scowls at him. “Thanks.” His notes that there is a painful throbbing to his head.

“No problem. But really, how are you feeling?” The target asks concernedly.

“My head hurts.” Luke places the back of his hand on his forehead, testing its warmth because you know, it probably wasn’t because he dived into the kiddie pool or anything.

“Does it?” His target walks toward him and Luke instinctively takes a step back. As the target stands directly in front of Luke, he feels his forehead as well with the back of his cold hand. It feels nice, and Luke involuntarily whines when he takes his hand back. The target giggles.

Luke swallows. “Yes.”

“How bad? You might have a concussion.” He fiddles with the hem of his shirt, glancing downwards a few times. Luke raises an eyebrow, and the target pretends not to notice.

“Very,” is all Luke says.

“Anything else?” Ashton raises an eyebrow.

That causes Luke to sigh heavily. “Thank you.”

“What?”

“’Thank you.’”

“I meant, do you feel anything else? You’re welcome, though.”

“O-Oh. Not really.”

Ashton breathes a sigh of relief. “Good. I think you just have a headache from the impact. It still might be possible though. . .” He yawns again.

“What time is it?” Luke crosses his arms.

“11:41,” the target answers, looking at his phone that he had removed from his pocket. “Well, I’m going to take a shower. Make yourself at home.” The target chuckles at his own words.

Wait, what? He was going to let Luke stay in there? Oh, dear, this is just great! Now Luke can spill his guts! Maybe he can write a creepy message on the mirror with his blood. Luke thinks that this is a perfect plan.

Or, actually, imperfect.

He still had to worry about himself. He needed to make it look like an accident, at least. That way he could get away clean. He probably shouldn’t make too big a mess, either. It wouldn’t be believable if it were that way.

Luke glances at the target. He was digging in a suitcase pressed against the wall, his back towards Luke. Oh, perfect.

Luke’s eyes dart around the room for anything sharp enough to impale. Nothing in the immediate vicinity. . . He could always go with breaking his neck, because strangling would leave bruises. Yeah, that would work. Luke is so done with this place that he doesn’t care who sees the scene or what they think of it. He couldn’t take the embarrassment of anyone seeing him and recognizing him as the idiot who dove into a kiddie pool. Definitely not what he wants to be remembered by.

He creeps up behind the target with silent feet, hunching over in an effort to remain unseen. Not that it mattered; they were the only two in the room. Also, the curtains were shut, preventing the sunlight from shining too brightly in the room. The lights were off as well, the sun from the window providing just enough light.

He reaches the space directly behind his target, hands slowly inching forward to grip the target’s neck.

He doesn’t make it though, falling onto the bed behind him in shock as the target stands and spins around in one swift motion. The target looks at him quizzically. “Did you need something?”

Luke flinches, mind racing back and forth. The hell was he supposed to say?! “I-I wanted to see what you were getting,” he forces out.

Ashton blinks and then holds the articles of clothing up to show him. “I was getting my clothes.”

“O-Oh.”

Awkward silence befell them. The target stared down at Luke, who lied on the bed completely exposed. And honestly, as Luke stared back up at his target, he felt vulnerable. He thinks it’s because he was only in his swimsuit, nothing else. Ah, the target is glancing down again. Not to the floor, but some part of Luke’s body (he’s pretty sure, anyways). Perhaps his _amazingly toned_ stomach. Was a bug on him or something? A piece of grass that was in the pool? Luke didn’t know, nor did he care. If anything, he was enjoying the not-so-discreet attention he was getting.

“I’m going to get in the shower now.” Luke thinks he sees a faint blush dusting the target’s cheeks, but dismisses it as his imagination. The target walks away and into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Luke attentively listens for any sort of click that would tell him that the door was locked. It was dead silent before he hears the water turn on.

He acts quickly, searching through the suitcase on the ground for anything that could be of use. Shirts? Nope. Oh, hey, a Blink t-shirt! Luke has the exact same one, no way!!!

Never mind that.

He continues carefully rummaging through the clothing and travel items. He knows what he should be doing, but his mind wanders nonetheless. He was pretty hungry. He needs to wash his clothes. He told himself that he would wash them when he got to the hotel, but you can see how that worked out. His dear target’s clothing style is pretty similar to his. . .

No, Luke, stay focused! You’re so close; you can do this!

Giving up, Luke stands, looking to the bathroom door. His eyes narrow as yet another plan forms in his highly-intelligent-yet-somehow-still-idiotic mind. He decides to go through with it.

He takes quiet steps toward the bathroom door, slowly turning the knob and entering. The sound of the running water is louder. He doesn’t think Ashton had noticed. Inching to the bathtub, he carefully avoids small puddles of water that had escaped the tub.

As he moves to pull the shower curtain back and bash the target’s head on the faucet (to make it appear as if he had slipped), he freezes, hearing a sound discontinue.

The water had turned off.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im laughing because i added this chapter to the wrong story oOPs  
> also this is somewhat shorter in my terms, but I like it the way it is, so enjoy! Sorry for any errors!

Luke froze, holding his breath. His hand is but a centimeter away from the curtain, and he hears the target sigh before seeing his hand reach out of the curtain to grab the white towel hanging on the wall. The target pulls the towel inside of the shower, most likely drying off.

The next thing Luke knows is the curtain is pulled back, and he sees Ashton in all of his glory. He sees _everything,_ and god _damn_ , he admits that his target is pretty damn hot without clothes on. He didn’t realize what a nice body Ashton had.

Ashton yelps, yanking the shower curtain back to cover himself up. Why he didn’t use the towel is beyond Luke.

Luke had jumped back, shielding his eyes (he accidentally slapped himself in the face, by the way). Ashton’s yelp caused him to let out a shrill, girlish scream.

“What the hell are you doing in here?!” Ashton yells at Luke. He places a hand over his beating heart in an attempt to calm himself.

“I-I-I-“ Luke removes his arm to look his target in the face out of instinct to look at someone in the eye when you’re speaking to them, but when he does, Ashton screams:

“DON’T LOOK!!!”

Ashton proceeds to throw a bar of soap at Luke. It hits him square in the forehead, causing his head to be thrown back on impact. Luke glares at Ashton. “What the hell?!”

“STOP LOOKING!!”

A bottle of shampoo hits Luke in the eye. It hurts. Really bad. “Okay, Okay, I’m sorry!!”

“What the hell are you doing in here?!” Ashton repeats, wide eyes filled with shock and fear. His face is red with embarrassment.

“I-I was looking for something!!”

“What on earth could you be looking for?!”

Shit, what was he supposed to say now?! Think, Luke, think! “I-I-“

Luke stops himself, hearing a sound that didn’t belong. Hm. . . It was a pounding sound. . . Punching? Knocking furiously? It sounded like it was on wood. . .

Ashton seemed to have noticed it too. His brows are creased, and his eyes narrow slightly. “What’s-“ is all he manages to get out before Luke tackles him (as gently as possible, mind you.) Luke’s assassin instincts kicked in. It’s not his fault.

As Luke does this, a loud crash rings in the air outside of the bathroom, as well as a bang from the fall. Luke stares down at Ashton and addresses their position.

They’re both in the tub, with Luke on top. Luke’s hand is clamped over his target’s mouth, and the target’s eyes are wide in panic. He’s on his knees in between Ashton’s legs, which are bent at a 90 degree angle, calves resting on the edge of the tub. Luke’s free hand is resting on Ashton’s smooth, soft shin. The arm connected to the hand on Ashton’s lips is underneath Ashton’s other leg, and the target’s hands are on Luke’s shoulders. The towel rests on Ashton’s crotch conveniently.

Luke listens closely, not realizing that he was staring deep into Ashton’s eyes. Luke is frowning, head tilted and brows furrowed.

Footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Whoever it is, they walk through the target’s room. There’s rummaging, and then silence. Complete, utter silence. Turning his head to the door, Luke sees the bottom of someone’s black shoes and someone else’s shadow. They were large.

And Luke prays. He prays to _God_ that they won’t open the door to the bathroom for many reasons. For example, they could be dangerous. And, judging from the look on Ashton’s face right now, he didn’t know these people either. Also, Luke didn’t want anyone to see their position. Mainly ‘they could be dangerous’ though.

It seems like hours have passed before the people outside the door leave, slamming the door behind them. Both Luke and Ashton let out a shaky sigh of relief. Ashton’s eyes drift shut as well.

The target shout-whispers. “What was that?!”

“I don’t know. . .” Luke trails off, letting his hand slowly leave the target’s face. Luke’s thumb ghosted over his target’s lips. Involuntarily, he caresses the target’s cheek.

His target doesn’t seem to notice.

Unfortunately, their rather intimate moment is cut short when Luke snaps back into reality. He jumps back, stumbling backwards over the edge of the tub and onto the tiled floor and apologizing. “I-I didn’t mean. . .”

Ashton blinks. “It’s okay.”

The two stare at each other. Ashton breaks the silence, though. “Should we call the cops?”

Luke’s mind goes from thought, to thought, to thought. . . Who in the world just broke into the hotel room? And _why_ would anyone break into the hotel room?!

Ashton had been staring at him worriedly, no longer caring about his private areas being seen or not. Luke didn’t notice that he’d been glaring at the poor target this entire time he was thinking. Luke stands, offering a hand to his target. “Let’s investigate first,” he whispers.

Ashton takes his hand and lets Luke pull him up, forgetting about the towel.

And, well, let’s just say that Luke got another bruise.

 

 

After peeking outside the door, they exit the bathroom. Ashton had dressed himself while Luke pretended to stare at the wall and/or door. (“Nice ass.” “Shut the hell up!”)

Ashton’s stuff was indeed messed up, and some of it was on the floor. The sheets and comforter were out of place, whereas earlier, they were perfectly made. Upon inspection, the wooden door into the room had a slight dent, and the lock seemed to be broken. Whoever it was wanted in pretty badly.

In the end, Luke couldn’t stop Ashton from telling the manager and calling the police. Though, he did make a. . . Mistake. “Ashton, I’m telling you, you shouldn’t call the cops yet.”

Ashton had stopped his digging through his stuff and then slowly looked over his shoulder at Luke.

Luke swallows nervously. “What?” he hisses, intending to seem intimidating.

“I. . . I never told you my name.”

Oh, shit. This is bad. This is really bad. “I-I thought you did?” Luke’s insides churn in nervousness and panic. He’s beginning to lose his cool. He’s never done this since. . . Ever.

Ashton stands, taking slow steps over to Luke. Standing directly in front of him, he asks with narrowed eyes, “How do you know my name?”

For the first time in many, many years, Luke feels fear. The look on his target’s face was menacing, and Luke felt as if he himself was the victim. “I overheard that woman call you that.” He thanks the logical part of his brain.

Ashton continues staring at Luke with that threatening expression, but then he breaks into a bright smile, flashing his pearly whites. “Oh! What’s your name, then?”

Isn’t it amazing how one can change emotions so quickly? Luke’s amazed at how relieved he feels. He didn’t even think that would work, to be honest. “L-Luke.”

Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ , he didn’t mean to say his real name!! Luke panicked internally, realizing what he had done. He blinks as he notices the target’s extended hand. “What?” Luke asks.

“I said it’s a pleasure to meet you, Luke.” Ashton motions to his hand with his head. Luke shakes it after hesitating. ‘I said?’ He didn’t even hear Ashton speak the first time!

The two stare at each other, still holding each other’s hands. Ashton tries to pull his hand back, but Luke’s hand doesn’t let go.

He tries again.

The two stare at each other awkwardly.

“Um. . .” Ashton starts.

“Yeah?” Luke replies, unaware of the increasingly awkward atmosphere. What an idiot. An extremely cute idiot.

“You can let go of my hand now.” Ashton scratches the back of his neck nervously with his free hand.

“What?” Luke looks down, blushing at the realization. He yanks his hand back, forgetting to actually let go and causing Ashton to crash into his chest.

Time seemed to stop. Ashton was pressed against Luke’s front, a leg between Luke’s legs due to the fact that he had tried to steady himself. His chin rested against his chest as he stared up at him. Their hands are in the air, clasped together, from when Luke had pulled back. Their position was rather graceful.

“I-I’m sorry.” Luke stares down at Ashton, looking deep into his big hazel orbs.

Ashton looks up at Luke, blinking rapidly and attempting to fight the blush that still arrived on his cheeks. “It’s fine. . .” He trails off. The two stay in that position for a few moments. It was warm and relaxing, as well as sort of. . . Comforting.

It seemed as if neither of them wanted to separate.

But Luke realized this, and he immediately shoved Ashton away from him. “I should get going.”

He pretends not to notice Ashton’s hurt expression as he rushes out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

This is bad. This is _very_ bad.

Luke had been walking extremely fast in the halls of the hotel, eager to get to his room. He needed time alone to think about everything. A few more minutes passed, and he was at his door. He slips his hand in his pocket to pull out the key and opens the door. Slamming it closed, he slides down into a leaning position against the door.

What the hell even _was_ that?! The closeness, the feeling of relaxation, the warm feeling both in his face and in his pants. He missed it, he wanted it, he yearned for it. This isn’t the type of thing you want to do to a target!! No, not at all!!!

He could only come up with one solution to this problem. And that solution was to kill the target as soon as possible.

 

 

Luke took lazy steps around the hotel lobby, occasionally looking through magazines or chatting with the teenage girl who wouldn’t stop twirling her hair around her finger.

He is waiting.

He’s waiting for Ashton, whenever he may arrive in the lobby. Luke doesn’t know where Ashton is at. He knocked on the door he had exited earlier, but there was no response.

Not only that, the cops were nowhere to be seen. Ashton said he had called them, but. . . ?

_And_ Luke also hoped that no one noticed the multiple bruises decorating his face. (They probably did, though.)

Luke is sitting in one of the bulky old chairs when the double doors open.

And – Oh, look. It’s Ashton.

Ashton notices Luke right away, and his face turns a bright shade of pink as he pretends he hadn’t. But Luke had immediately noticed that Ashton had noticed. And Ashton had noticed that Luke had noticed that he had noticed.

Luke stood up, quickly making his way to Ashton. He makes sure to yawn before walking to make it seem natural.

They both near the elevator, and Ashton enters it once the door opens, unaware that Luke steps in as well. Luke’s steps were silent as can be. However, his long legs caused him to fall all over the place. He doesn’t even know what he tripped on. Silly tall blonde boy.

Luke falls forward, and thankfully, Ashton catches him. Ashton’s hands are quite large, and they grip Luke’s sides tightly. Luke’s heart races, and he assumes it’s because of the fact that he could have injured himself pretty badly.

“Y-You okay?” Ashton asks after a moment or two.

“I-I’m fine!” Luke jerks away, scrambling up to a normal standing position as the elevator door closes. They were the only two in the elevator. Luke bites his lip as he watches the target smirk playfully.

Ashton opens his mouth to say something when the elevator begins to move up, but suddenly, the power goes out.

The light in the elevator flickers, but eventually remains on. The elevator doesn’t budge, though.

Luke’s heart jumps ten feet in the air, screaming in happiness (his heart, not his body). This is just perfect! Ashton could just die in an “accident” in the elevator. Luke is so done with this mission that he’s willing to do anything at this point to get it done.

“D-Did it just. . .” Ashton begins.

“Yeah.” Luke feigns frustration. He places a hand on his hip, looking off to the side dramatically.

A minute passes. “W-What do we do?” Ashton asks.

A reasonable solution would be to call for help. A reasonable solution would be to not just stand there and do nothing but think.

And Luke was thinking, believe me. He was thinking of all the possible ways he could murder a certain curly haired boy in an elevator. “I don’t know,” Luke forces out.

Several more minutes that are filled with silence pass. It takes Luke forever to notice the subtle whimpering coming from the human next to him. He turns his head to stare at Ashton in curiosity. “Is. . . Something wrong?” he asks with a frown.

Ashton’s gaze is cast down at the floor, and the majority of his face is in shadows. He shakes his head, biting his lip.

Luke’s eyes can’t leave his lips.

He simply can’t tear his gaze away from the sight, from the pure white teeth digging into the soft flesh of Ashton’s lower lip. As he finally looks back up to Ashton’s eyes, he sees that Ashton had turned toward him.

“I’m scared,” Ashton says quietly.

Luke blinks, trying to comprehend what he just heard. Scared. His target. . . Is scared. . . Of something other than him. Luke resists the urge to groan loudly. _You’ve got to be kidding me,_ he thinks. “You’re scared.”

“Y-yeah. . .”

“Of?”

“W-What’s going to happen?” Ashton slowly inches closer to Luke until he’s clinging to his arm, ignoring the blonde’s protests.

“I don’t know.” Luke huffs, trying to pull his arm away. He isn’t used to this type of contact, so he is very, _very_ uncomfortable.

“I want out,” Ashton mutters, pressing himself against Luke’s side. Luke resists the urge to slam his target on the wall and ripping his limbs off one by one or breaking a bone or two. Either one would work.

Not for long, though.

He’s sick and tired of this goddamn mission. He’s had it. He’s done. No more.

After yanking his arm back, he shoves Ashton up against the wall, one hand on his throat and the other pinning his wrist above his head. Ashton’s eyes are wide with shock, and his lower lip is once again between his teeth. In the sudden movement he had bitten down hard, causing it to bleed. Luke watches as Ashton lets his lower lip go. He watches as Ashton’s tongue darts out to lick the tiny drop of bright red liquid up.

Luke’s tongue plays with his lip ring cutely before he bites his own lip.

And then suddenly a shrill sounding beep fills the air, causing both of the boys to jump ten feet in the air. It takes them a moment to realize that it’s Luke’s cellphone.

He jerks away from his target, sliding his phone out of his pocket and answering it. “Yes?”

“ _Is it done?_ ” says a very, _very_ familiar voice. Luke didn’t even look at caller ID. Silly boy.

Remembering that the target is in the room, he panics. “W-What?”

Calum’s sigh over the phone could be heard quite easily. “ _It’s not done, is it?_ ”

“N-“ Luke stops himself and glances at Ashton, who is very scared and confused right now, before continuing. “No, sir. It isn’t.” He sighs.

He hears Calum growl. “ _Luke, how many days has it been?! You’re better than this!!_ ”

Luke had jumped at Calum’s words. “Shut up,” Luke hisses. His eyebrows are furrowed, and he glares at a random spot on the wall.

“ _What?! Luke, do you understand how much trouble you can get in for saying that to me?!_ ”

“Yes.”

“ _Luke!!!_ ” Another angry sigh is heard. “ _Is there a reason you’re acting this way?_ ” Luke can tell Calum is having a hard time containing his anger. He’s always been like this.

“I-I-“ Luke glances at the target once more, making eye contact this time. And instead of turning away, Luke stares into the big bright eyes looking back at him.

And there was a spark. There was a spark, a spark of something so deep in Luke that he couldn’t even tell what the hell caused it.

His eye twitches, and he hurriedly says into the phone “Gotta go,” before hanging up.

He needed to get out of the elevator. He needed to get out now.

He needed to get out now, before he ends up going insane.

 

 

47 boring (and annoying, according to Luke) minutes later, Luke and Ashton are out of the elevator and walking to their rooms via the stairs. They’re both panting slightly.

“I’m glad. . . I wasn’t alone in there. . .” Ashton says in between pants.

“I’m not.” Luke attempts to quicken his pace, but his legs don’t allow him to do so.

“Why’s that?” Hurt was evident in Ashton’s voice.

“Because.” Luke nearly trips on a step due to the fact he was still trying to move faster.

But Ashton stops, grabbing Luke’s wrist to pull him to a halt. “Tell me.” Ashton’s tone and expression are both playful, but there is a definite look of seriousness in his eyes.

Luke turns around in his spot on the step to face Ashton, who is a couple steps down from Luke. Ashton’s eyes sparkle in the dim light of the cheap wall lamp. His hand hasn’t let go of Luke’s wrist yet. Luke blinks, expression blank. “No.”

Ashton sighs, and after a few minutes pass, he says, “I get the feeling you don’t like me.”

“Why do you say that?” Luke feigns shock. It’s half-assed, though.

“You’re always so. . . Distant.”

“Am not.”

“Yeah, you are.” Ashton’s voice had lowered, but his tone is gentle. His thumb moves back and forth in patterns on Luke’s wrist. Luke really wants to pull away. It’s getting awkward.

“Ashton?”

“Yes?”

“What. . . Are you doing?” Now, the more Ashton moves his thumb, the more relaxed Luke feels. It’s. . . soothing.

“Nothing in particular. . .” Ashton trails off, gaze traveling downwards.

Luke attempts to take his arm back, but Ashton’s grip is firm. Ashton pulls Luke closer and moves up a step, causing Luke to do the same. “Ashton, stop it.” Luke’s mouth forms a straight line, and his jaw is clenched tightly. He doesn’t like where this is going.

But it seemed that Ashton did.

Ashton’s free hand reaches for Luke’s other wrist, succeeding in grabbing it. “I’m not doing anything.” The curly-haired boy smirks.

Luke tries to yank his wrists back, only to fail miserably. Since when was Ashton this strong?! Luke bites his lip nervously. “You’ve never acted like this before.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

Ashton giggles, smiling from ear to ear. “Because,” he replies, mimicking Luke.

The two of them stay like that for a while, Luke glaring into Ashton’s eyes. He wishes he’d ripped off this bastard’s head in the elevator. Why didn’t he?! Oh, right. Because he didn’t have a well-thought-out plan. He would obviously be the one to blame. He could not find a way to make it look like an accident.

“Let me go,” Luke finally says, tugging his wrists. Ashton doesn’t budge, and he moves up another step, but Luke stays still this time.

“What if I say no?” That same smirk from earlier is once again on Ashton’s face.

“I-I’ll. . .” Luke is at a loss for words. He’s uncomfortable, and he needs to get to his room to clear his thoughts. Yes, that is _definitely_ the reason.

A few moments of silence pass.

Yes, a few moments of silence pass before Ashton closes the distance between them.


	6. Chapter 6

Luke didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what was going on. He was frozen solid, and Ashton’s hot lips were causing him to melt.

Luke’s mind was racing, jumping from _what_ to _who_ to _why_ and back to _what_ again. Ashton pressed his lips to Luke’s for several moments, warm and soft, and Luke isn’t sure whether he likes it or not.

He knows he shouldn’t, but _damn_ this felt nice. Involuntarily, his eyes drift shut, and he lets himself lean closer to Ashton. He feels Ashton’s grip tighten on his wrists, and suddenly a tongue makes its way into his mouth. Luke hums in approval.

But Luke instantly realizes what he’s doing, and he jerks backwards, yanking his wrists back. His eyes shoot open, and he stares at Ashton with wide, panicked eyes. Both boys’ faces were flushed. (Luke also nearly fell because they were still on the staircase, but that’s beside the point.)

“W-What the hell was that?!” Luke snaps, hand flying to his mouth. He presses three of his fingers to his lips. His fingers were incredibly cold compared to his face, or, rather, lips.

“I-I’m sorry, I-“ Ashton stops himself, putting his hands up in defense.

Luke knew he should’ve have gotten rid of him sooner. If he’d done that, this wouldn’t have happened! Luke is shocked, frustrated, and extremely warm! Again! He opens his mouth to shout something at Ashton, but then decides to lower his voice instead of yelling. “You and I can’t be together,” he says before turning away and rushing up the stairs.

“Luke, wait-!!“

But Luke is already too far away.

 

 

What in the world just happened? Ashton kissed Luke. Ashton kissed Luke, and Luke kissed _back!!_

Luke kissed back, and he doesn’t know why. He’s nervous. He wonders why Ashton had slotted their lips together in first place. Had Ashton fallen for him? Had Luke accidentally caused Ashton to fall for him?! How did he manage that?!

This was _not_ supposed to happen at _all_. He needs to kill this curly haired bastard before he tries to do anything else. Luke shudders in his spot on his bed. He’d sprinted down the halls in the hotel to get to his room as quick as possible.

And, he thinks, he might as well just get the show on the road.

 

 

It was early in the morning the next time Luke left his room. So, so early. He was walking quickly down the stairs, heading to the third floor. Stupid broken elevator.

Even he didn’t know what he was planning.

And that was what went on in the mind of Lucas Robert Hemmings, the experienced, _professional_ assassin. It was what happened every time he was on the job. He would be getting ready to kill, and then his mind will pull out a notebook and pencil and start drawing what happens next. His attention span was that of a squirrel.

Hence why he didn’t know what he was doing. How he was the most experienced at this job, he had no idea. He also had no idea how he always managed to sneak his trusty dagger in secured areas. It was a small dagger, dull silver in color, but he loved it to death. He kept it in his boot for safekeeping.

He slowed his pace down by quite a lot when he actually got to the third floor. He strolled leisurely down the carpeted halls, eyes wide and open to see the slightest movement that may or may not occur. That, and he needed to be as quiet as possible as to not give himself away. He peeks around the corners of the walls, alert and sneaky. Once making sure that the coast is clear, he walks back into the dim stairwell to wait impatiently. He leans against the wooden panels of the wall, letting a small sigh escape his slightly chapped lips.

And – oh, he hears footsteps.

He tries to figure out who it is, or who it _might_ be. The footsteps were quick, so it was probably a younger person. They didn’t sound too light, nor too heavy, so it was probably a being with an average weight. But then again, when Luke listens closely, the steps are leaning towards the heavier side. Perhaps someone with a bit more meat on their bones? Or maybe with a lot of muscles?

But no time to think too much; the footsteps are getting louder! Luke readies himself, both ready to attack and ready to act natural. He doesn’t know who exactly is walking towards him.

The shadow in the doorway gets larger until finally, whoever is approaching enters the stairwell. Luke’s killer instincts kick in, and he slips his mini-dagger out of his boot before quickly preparing himself once more to pounce on his prey.

It was Ashton. It was, indeed, Ashton, in a black t-shirt and black skinny jeans.

Luke’s arms are around Ashton’s neck in an instant, and he pulls him close in a chokehold. Luke can barely contain his wide smile, eyes lighting up with delight and glee and eagerness. Ashton’s hands fly to Luke’s arms, and he lets out choked cries for help. Luke only tightens his grip, attempting to stop the chuckle that leaves his mouth.

Keeping one arm around Ashton’s neck, Luke carefully but hurriedly positions his dagger at an angle that is ready to pierce its target, to pierce _his_ target. And, despite his position, he can _see_ the wild, panicked state of mind displayed in the windows that are his eyes, and he can definitely sense the fear coursing in his target’s veins. He can _taste_ the sweat forming in beads that run down the target’s neck and down his back. (He didn’t lick the target, mind you.)

It’s all so fascinating.

Everything is a rush, an amazing high that only killing and blood-spilling can get you. It’s ridiculously thrilling. All of Luke’s senses were heightened, waiting for the good part to start. His mind was sent into a rapid frenzy just thinking about the future. Thinking about the crimson seeping through the wooden floorboards, soaking the carpet that ended at the doorway. The glorious splatters of red decorating the walls and the steps of the stairs.

Luke’s mouth began to water at the thought of tangled, glistening intestines, squelching at every movement made in the immediate vicinity. Their wetness, their pinkness, their shiny texture. What fun it would be to tie them together, perhaps in a pretty bow.

And Luke dreamt of the mutilated corpse of his beloved target, pieces of flesh detached or attached by a single, thin piece of skin. A beautiful, bloody work of art, left to rot in hundreds and thousands of pieces. Ripped articles of clothing scattered about the area, lost and never to be found again due to no use and no importance.

Fingers stained red, and bones stripped clean.

Those were Luke’s dreams.

He needed it to happen _now_.

So he plunged the dagger towards its goal, only to be thrown away. And by thrown away, the knife was knocked out of Luke’s hand and tossed to the floor.

The target.

Ashton had done something. That super strength he had demonstrated a while back has returned, and he was elbowing Luke in the ribs. Luke’s arm was in pain, and the arm that was still around his target’s neck had teeth lodged firmly into its forearm. It hurt pretty damn bad.

Luke grunted in pain, bringing his elbow down on Ashton’s head repeatedly to get rid of that dreadful bite. Ashton finally turns around, fists up and ready to punch the shit out of Luke.

But he stops, eyes widening in realization.

“L-Luke, y-you. . .” Ashton trails off, letting down his guard.

Luke would’ve taken the opportunity to win back the odds, but the look on Ashton’s face made him stop dead in his tracks. Luke couldn’t come up with a word to describe it.

Fear? No, the look in his eyes was different. Sadness? It’s possible, but then again, it seems to be something deeper. . . And then it hit Luke like a giant, giant pile of bricks.

Hurt.

It sounds extremely simple, but really, that was the word that came to mind. Ashton’s large eyes were filled with the emotion, and when Luke looks closely, he sees that Ashton’s lower lip is quivering. “L-Luke. . .”

Luke wants to speak to him. To explain himself. Wait, no, he _needs_ to speak to Ashton!! This is the first time Luke has ever felt this way. It’s the first time he wanted to fix something like this. “I-I-“ he forces out before Ashton cuts him off.

“W-What the fucking hell?!” Ashton yells, taking a step backwards, nearly tripping over the first step of the staircase.

“Ash, I-“ Luke takes a step forward, holding his hands out in an attempt to calm the shorter human being. The bloodlust he had earlier had completely vanished.

“Don’t fucking touch me!!” Ashton lifts a hand as if it will protect him. Luke backs up nonetheless. Tears begin to roll down Ashton’s cheeks.

He’s still afraid. It’s obvious. Anyone would still be afraid.

Luke cautiously takes a step forward, and Ashton takes a step backward. “I-I can explain,” Luke says in the most gentle voice he can manage.

But Ashton doesn’t want to hear it. He had turned on his heel and ran down the stairs, ignoring every word Luke shouted at his back for him to return.

And Luke doesn’t know what to do. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm like the laziest person ever i'm sorry for not updating for so long om g but I PROMISE i'll make it up to you guys in future chapters <3


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